Madison Bumgarner is rounding into All-Star form and turned in another overpowering effort against the Dodgers May 21, blanking the SoCal rivals 4-0. Further helping his own cause, MadBum launched his seventh home run -- off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw! -- in the third inning to start the scoring. His ERA is now down to 2.84.

A's catcher and team leader Stephen Vogt helped spearhead a 9-2 victory against Boston earlier this month with a sliding catch. At press time Vogt had 10 home runs and was batting a solid .306. Photo by Michael Zagaris.

The scoreboard tells it all. Chris Wondolowski's 100th career goal earned the San Jose Earthquakes a 1-1 draw versus Orlando City SC on Sunday afternoon at Levi's Stadium. The 11-year veteran becomes just the ninth MLS player to hit this milestone.

The Kingfish Pub has returned, bigger and better than ever. Respecting the past while moving into the future is a delicate balance, but the Kingfish Pub has succeeded in worthy fashion. After a hiatus of five months, which saw the Oakland pub move 35 yards to a new location (5227 Telegraph Avenue), this venerable institution has reopened in virtually its original condition, with a major addition: a 2,000-square-foot patio in back, along with a second bar and second shuffle board. Those entering the Kingfish step onto a large Cal logo honoring legendary Cal basketball coach Pete Newell -- areal touch of class.

We pay homage this Memorial Day to the true heroes who have sacrificed so that we can enjoy the American way of life. Sports are an integral part of the DNA that defines us as a country. We are lucky to have the freedom to pursue our interests, both as participants and fans.

Recently sports headlines have been inflated with stories about deflation, a PED cheater who broke a legend's record, spousal abuse, the murder conviction of a former all-pro tight end, and other forms of reprehensible behavior from a number of pro athletes.

But let's not let that distract us from Mike Conley of the Grizzlies and the Wizards' John Wall -- ultimate warriors during the second round of the NBA playoffs -- one with a broken face and the other with multiple fractures in his left wrist.

Fans are a picky bunch when it comes to debating the intestinal fortitude of their favorite players. Even though the Grizz and Wiz have been eliminated, take a moment and put yourself in the high-priced shoes and broken or displaced bones of Conley and Wall.

Mike Conley

"After I got the CAT scan they told me I did have a blowout fracture," Conley said. "I had three fractures at that point: one under my eye, one on the side of my eyebrow, and then there was one that was a displaced fracture almost where my jaw is."

Doctors told Conley that he had nearly broken his jaw and likely had a broken nose.

"OK, well, thanks for all that," Conley quipped in his retelling.

The good news, insofar as there can be any good news at all when breaking what amounts to the entire left side of your face, was that surgery was scheduled in Memphis once the swelling went down.

Conley spent a night in Portland after the injury. "The pain was excruciating, to be honest," Conley said. "But it was interesting because my pain wasn't necessarily near my eye. It was my mouth and my jaw and my teeth.

Surgeons installed a metal plate and four screws into the bone beneath Conley's eye, along with another plate and three more screws on the side of the orbital bone. His jaw was realigned to heal more naturally.

Days went by without Conley participating in any basketball activity. He traveled with the team for the start of their conference semifinal series against the Warriors but sat out Game 1.

When Conley took to the court for Game 2 he put on a show that no one saw coming. It was a heroic and gutty performance that made the series a series.

John Wall

Wall suffered five nondisplaced fractures in his wrist and hand. He stayed down for several minutes after a hard fall, but finished the game with 18 points and 13 assists.

The initial diagnosis was a wrist sprain, and Wall was expected to play in Game 2, but that plan was scrapped shortly before the game started.

"You never know when you've got a lot of energy and power going down on the ground, so I thought I broke it. Kind of the same type of injury."

Nondisplaced fractures are hard to spot on X-rays and MRIs when there's a lot of swelling. Wall's hand and wrist ballooned to an unnatural size, which could explain the initial misdiagnosis of a wrist sprain.

He sat out three games but returned in Game 5 and played quite well for a man with one hand.

The next time you weekend warriors start whining about a pulled muscle, bloody nose or some other minor malady, just pick yourself up and get back in the game.

And let us all take a moment to thank those who are serving or have served in our armed forces. Their fighting spirit and guts gave us the opportunities we often take for granted.

Longtime sports executive Andy Dolich has more than three decades of experience in the professional sports industry, mostly spent in the San Francisco Bay Area. This includes stints in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. He operates his consulting business, Dolich & Associates, in Los Altos.

Sports Today is looking for a few contributors to write occasional columns proclaiming the joys and rewards found in all sports-related experiences, whether as a player, spectator or sports pub patron. Playful wordsmiths wanted to share the fun and excitement Bay Area sports offers. Interested?

Write us: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com.

Memorable Sports Moment

Editorial cartoon from the late Tony Ault of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Ault was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1976.

How Baseball Changed My Life

by Walter Champion

I am a law professor at Texas Southern University and the author of the casebook Baseball and the Law. My book includes a forward by Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, who was also an all-star in the Negro and Mexican leagues.

Irvin, 96, still uses the stationary bike he borrowed from the New York Giants about 60 years ago.

My assistant at the law school six years ago was Stacie Gordon, Irvin's granddaughter. I'm now also the dean of international programs at Instituto Superior de Derecho y Economia, a graduate school in law and business in Madrid that introduced the master's in sports law 25 years ago, and is now co-sponsoring with Columbia University a master of laws in global sports/master's in sports management. Stacie plans to matriculate in this program in September.

My first sports law article was an op-ed piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer on the 1981 baseball strike. It prompted a scathing reply by the late award-winning cartoonist Tony Auth, who lampooned millionaire baseball players by portraying them as being chauffeured in Rolls Royces around Veterans Stadium with "Unfair" signs.

My mother, a longtime Phillies fan, had season tickets in 1980. She fell on the allegedly defective sidewalk at Veterans Stadium. By the time it got to court I was in law school, and a friend took the case. My mother was asked by three arbitrators whether she drank beer and wore glasses.

She responded, "Oh no, honey, I never drink beer in hot weather, and like you, I only wear glasses to read."

Although technically correct, my mother neglected to mention she'd had three gin-and-tonics in an air-conditioned luxury suite and had only one contact lens in place when she fell. (She was legally blind without contacts.)

Decades earlier, in 1957, I was at Philadelphia's Connie Mack Stadium when Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn of the Phillies fouled off several pitches during an at-bat, one of which struck a little lady with white hair. Unbelievably, as she was being carried out on a stretcher another Ashburn foul ball struck her!

Legally, she assumed the risk of the first injury but not the second, since she was unconscious. At that point, I too was struck, so to speak, with the feasibility of a book on baseball and the law.

Walter Champion is also the author ofSports Law in a Nutshell, Fundamentals of Sports Law and Sports Ethics for Sports Management Professionals.

(For more information regarding Columbia University's master of laws in global sports/master's in sports management program and application, contact isde.us.)

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There are 258 days left until the Golden Super Bowl at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, on Feb. 7, 2016.

Below is a list of sports bars we recommend for all your sports viewing needs. Each is a worthy institution and they have the added distinction of also being long-time Ultimate Sports Guide advertisers. When you stop in, please extend our thanks.

San Francisco

Abbey Tavern, 4100 Geary Street

The Blue Light, 1979 Union Street

Bus Stop, 1901 Union Street

The Chieftain, 198 5th Street

Danny Coyle's, 668 Haight Street

Dave's, 29 Third Street @ Kearny

Final Final, 2990 Baker @ Lombard

The Holding Company, #2 Embarcadro Center

Il Pirata, 2007 16th Street

Jake's Steaks, 3301 Buchanan Street

Jullian's, 101 4th Street

The Kezar Pub, 770 Stanyan Street

Mad Dog in the Fog, 530 Haight Street

Mucky Duck, 1315 9th Avenue

Nickie's Bar, 466 Haight Street

Players Sports Grill, Pier 39, Buildings L & M

Polo Grounds, 747 3rd Street

East Bay

Brennan's Restaurant, 4th & University, Berkeley

Churchward Pub, 1515 Park Street, Alameda

City Beach, 4020 Technology Place, Fremont

Crogan's Montclair, 6101 La Salle Avenue, Oakland

Cue & Brew, 1029 Arnold Drive, #6, Martinez

Dan's Irish Sports Bar, 1524 Civic Street, Walnut Creek

Diamonds Sports Bar & Grill, 77 Hegenberger, Oakland

Ed's Mudville Grill, 6200 Center Street, Clayton

The Englander, 101 Parrott Street, San Leandro

Evie's, 7138 Village Parkway, Dublin

Francesco's Restaurant, 8520 Pardee Drive, Oakland

Frank's Saloon, 2014 Marina Blvd., San Leandro

Funky Monkey, 22554 Main Street, Hayward

George & Walt's, 5445 College Avenue, Oakland

Grand Oaks Restaurant, 3701 Grand Avenue, Oakland

Go Sports Bar, 736 Washington Street, Oakland

Ivy Room, 860 San Pablo Avenue, Albany

Kingfish, 5227 Claremont, Oakland

Linguini's Pizza & Brew, 1508 Park Street, Alameda

Livermore Casino Sports Bar, 3571 First Street, Livermore

McCovey's Restaurant, 1444 N. California, Walnut Creek

Mr. Lucky's Bar & Grill, 1527 Locust Street. Walnut Creek

Oakland Moose Club, 690 Hegenberger Road

Oaks Corner, 4099 San Pablo, Emeryville

Otaez Mexican Restaurant, 1619 Webster Street, Alameda

Pacific Coast Brewing Co., 906 Washington Street, Oakland

Pasta Pelican, 2455 Mariner Square Drive, Alameda

Pete's Place, 610A San Pablo Avenue, Pinole

Rancho Sports Bar, 3912 San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante

Ricky's Sports Grill, 15028 Hesperian Blvd., San Leandro

Sports Edition Bar, Hilton Oakland Airport, Oakland

Stadium Pub, 1420 Lincoln Avenue, Walnut Creek

Tierney's Sports Bar, 540 San Pablo Avenue, Albany

WPLJ's Dance Club, 2112 North Main Street, Walnut Creek

Brisbane

7 Mile House, 2800 Bayshore Blvd.

Burlingame

The American Bull Bar & Grill, 1819 El Camino Real

Knuckles Historical Sports Bar, Hyatt Regency, Burlingame

Campbell

Capers Eat & Drink, 1710 West Campbell

Fair Oaks

Players Sports Pub, 4060 Sunrise Blvd.

Half Moon Bay

Cameron's Restaurant Pub & Inn, 1410 South Cabrillo Hwy

Half Moon Bay Brewing Co., 390 Capistrano Road

Foster City

The Club House Bistro, 1221 Chess Drive

Palo Alto

Sundance The Steakhouse, 1921 El Camino Real

Point Richmond

Up & Under, 2 West Richmond Avenue

San Jose

Bay 101 Casino, 1801 Bering Drive

Britannia Arms, 5027 Almaden Expressway

Britannia Arms, 173 West Santa Clara

Britannia Arms, 1087 De Anza Blvd.

San Rafael

Pete's 881, 721 Lincoln Avenue

Santa Clara

City Beach, 2911 Mead Avenue

Santa Cruz

One Double Oh Seven Club, 1007 Soquel Avenue

Vacaville

Stars Recreation Center, 155 Browns Valley Parkway

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Ultimate Sports Guide, a glossy print publication serving the San Francisco Bay Area with two editions a year, the Spring/Summer Baseball edition and the Fall/Winter Football edition. For expansive photo albums of the local teams, visit our Facebook page and be sure to LIKE us. For an informative e-newsletter mailed to our sports-minded database, CLICK HERE or, send your email address to: theultimatesportsguide@gmail.com.